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Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"Even if they don't lay down arms, as long as we're in here, they have to come to us to stop us, and these hallways limit the usefulness of their numbers. I imagine that once Tirosh is dealt with, we can handle the rest of this ship without too terribly much difficulty."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"Yeah, I mean, they're not all idiots. Long as we make it clear what we're after, they're not going to just throw themselves onto your swords."

Shoving the bodies down the stairs with a booted foot, Aya adds "Just don't forget what we are after. We won't find answers if we kill the crew and sink the ship." Splashing enough water around for the floor to at least pretend from a distance to be the site of a minor scuffle rather than a slaughter, she moves into the corner, leaning her borrowed crossbow up against the wall. "I'll wait here, then. Those little rooms are mostly empty, so you can probably shove him into one without much trouble."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"Well, if we've got everything hashed out, Jorran, you could take up position here and try to shove him into the far room here, and I'll take a fallback position here, to guard the rest of our group, and move to assist as needed."

Magnus indicates B16 for Jorran. He points to the door at D/E-16 for the far room. He indicates B12 for himself.

Magnus then turns to Mirielle, speaking "While we're at it, you look fairly strong, as well. If you'd like to hide out in the room we plan to shove Tirosh in, you could grab him as he's shoved in, perhaps? All we have to do is keep him from using that sword effectively, long enough for us to take him out. Thoughts?"

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Magnus helps drag bodies out of sight, and trusts in the water sloshing down from above to get the blood out, before responding to Mirielle's offers.

"Good point. Best to leave as little to chance as possible. If Jorran helps hold him down, it'll be that much easier to deal with him. As for the magical aid, check with the others. I've got my shield right here, and my pack has a couple potions for my wounds. If you need to heal me in the fight, stick to your weakest magics, and save the more powerful heals for others. I don't want anyone falling because I was too needy, after all." With that, Magnus gives as lighthearted a smile as he can muster, given that everyone's lives were about to rest on the strength of his wits.

Magnus then reaches into his pack, withdrawing a vial, and drinking it. Almost all of his wounds fade away, and he looks much more rejuvenated. Finally, he straps his shield onto his forearm, and readies himself.

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

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well, there are still some details unclear, but the basic idea seems to be agreed upon.

The trap is set and the halfling sent up to lure Tirosh in, but after several minutes of waiting, nothing has happened. Cleary something didn't go as planned, and as to confirm your suspicions you notice a young, blonde man come down the stairs; you recognize him as the guy who served food and drinks during that fateful feast with Dar Al Asam, though his name eludes you. He has his arms wide, displaying his empty hands for all to see.
"Ahem... Excuse me? I know you're there. Sorry, the little guy spilled to beans, though you gave him quite a scare. Asam sent me to negotiate; he doesn't want to send Tirosh by himself and he can't spare many other men considering how bad it is outside. They're fighting to keep all of us alive out there, you know.
Asam would like to negotiate personally with one of you, but if you understandably don't trust us enough to send one of you up on his own I can speak on his behalf. We are no slavers, and we never intended to hurt you. From what he just told me, Embro Ambrath offered him a huge reward for delivering you to him - all five of you, alive at all costs. We didn't even take a single copper from your stuff. Maybe we should have asked nicely for you just to come along to Ambrath instead of drugging you, but noncompliance wasn't an option. So in the hopes the five of you have no feud with that powerful man I do it now, though it comes too late for five of us sadly. Please, lay down your arms, enough blood was shed here tonight."

JtG

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about two in the morning

Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.Terry Pratchett

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Magnus steps out from his location, and says, "Didn't take a copper from us? As I recall, you took a great many of them in payment for safe passage us to a place you were paid by another to take us. I don't know about the rest of my newfound friends here, but I personally don't feel this passage has been all that safe.

If you would like to negotiate, let's start with this. I don't like dealing with lackeys, so I would like Asam to personally come to the table behind me to negotiate. If he would like assurances that we can be trusted, then you may remind him that we aren't the ones trafficking in poisons and kidnapping. Incidentally, you may tell him that he need not bring refreshments; we've had QUITE enough of his wine, thank you.

I don't believe I hold any ill will towards this Embro fellow. After all, as far as I can tell, he didn't specify that you drug us, chain us, tie us up, and, well, beat me for good measure. I have no qualms with meeting him, to see what was important enough to hire a courier for each of us. But I will not see your actions this day go unanswered."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Mirielle tries to breathe a sigh of relief. It doesn't come. She steps out to join Magnus, her armor still shining in what she hopes is an imposing manner. "Aye," she says. "I would rather speak with Asam as well. If he is too afraid to come down here, he can stand at the top of the stairs. We will, at least for now, promise not to harm him."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Despite the dire situation he is in, he can't hold back a chuckle. "Without Dar Al steering the Arianna we'd all be sleeping with the fishes soon. You want to talk to him directly, you have to meet him on deck. Or just postpone it and sit tight until we're safely in harbor."

Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.Terry Pratchett

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Mirielle replaces the wire-rimmed spectacles she had removed in preparation for a fight. "I don't know about the rest of them, but I can endure a few hours of waiting," she says. "A sword in the back, not so much."

As if to punctuate her indifference, Mirielle walks back to the table behind them and sits down, facing the hall where they'd set the trap.

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Magnus chuckles, and replies, "You expect me to believe that? If he waits until we are safe in harbor, he'll be negotiating with Raven's Bluff's guard. I'm certain he's not the only one on the entire ship that knows how to steer. Why, what would happen to the lot of you if he drank from the wrong wine bottle, or fell deathly ill?"

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Slinging her bow over her back, Aya steps into sight and pads down the hallway. "Just what I was thinking. Don't worry, armoursmith, I'll go. They try to kill me, the whole Order will learn about it, and only an idiot makes an enemy of Mystra's church for no good reason." She tactfully left out the part where she wasn't exactly the most-loved member of the Shooting Stars; they didn't need to know that.

"Besides," she grins cheerily, "you'd get to squish them all if they did."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

The look of the man visibly darkens at Magnus's words. "Listen, you damn fool, this isn't some mild autumn breeze any first or second mate can lazily stroll through. You think you fought for your lifes down here? So did we up there! Jannick even went overboard while praying at the helm of the ship, and I have no illusion about his chances, favor of thrice-cursed Umberlee be damned. We need the captain up there or you might as well cut me down where I stand, it's a more merciful death."

He breathes deeply after venting his frustration and anger, and Aya's words make him relax. "Well, good. Keep the bow if you want, won't help much up there. Just to be clear, the others are fine with you speaking on their behalf?"

Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.Terry Pratchett

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"The fools are lying in pools of their own blood, below. I assure you that what they faced was more lethal to them than whatever you've dealt with so far out there. You're obviously not pulling into the pier in a storm like this; the boat would be smashed to bits! Thus, I imagine there will be a bit of clear weather before you lower the gangplank, where the hands of a lesser mortal will suffice at the helm, and Asam can parley with us in the comfort of this room.

That said, if my friend wishes to go topside, I won't stop her. She may negotiate as she wishes, and bring back the results of your negotiation. We will then, as a group, hear her account, weigh it on its merits, and either accept it, or not. In either case, we'll send you back, alive, to deliver that message, provided you don't try anything stupid. If we can't conclude an agreement in this way, we're back to seeing Asam directly, when the storm breaks.

If she's not back in thirty minutes, I will also assume foul play, and act accordingly. I advise you to make sure she doesn't suffer any 'mishaps' over the side."

Magnus then turns to Aya, speaking, "Be careful up there. We both know Asam has the integrity of a back-alley half-orc thug."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"You know, I wish you would come upstairs; looking behind the ship would shut you up good."
The man takes Aya up on deck and as soon as she steps out, she has to steady herself against the wall to remain on her feet. The ships's swaying is more noticable here, or maybe it's just because it's accentuated with howling wind and a rain that whips into her face so hard she mistakes it for hail at first. The ship is sailing at full speed, with the sails looking about ready to burst from the strain. She briefly wonders about this carelessness, but stops once she looks past the stern to see what they were running aways from: a bank of pure blackness filling half the horizon, occasionally separated by pure-white lightning.
Dar Al Asam only noticed Aya once she's only a few feet away from him, fully concentrating on controlling the ship, and even with the low distance he has to shout for her to hear. "AH, SO YOU WERE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE. GOOD! SORRY ABOUT TELLING YOU WE'RE PAST THE DANGEROUS WATERS, THAT LIE WAS QUITE UNINTELTIONAL.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HARRID TOLD YOU YET, BUT EMBRO AMBRATH OFFERED ME 40.000 GOLD IF I DELIVER ALL OF YOU TO HIM, UNHARMED AND ABOVE ALL DISCREET. AND IF I DECLINE HE'D STOP MAKING BUSINESS WITH ME. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE GOODS I SHIP GO THROUGH HIS CONTORS? I HAD NO CHOICE! BUT I'M NO SLAVER AND I WON'T ASSIST IN MURDER, I TELL YOU. WHEN I MENTIONED AMBRATH TO YOU, NONE OF YOU GUYS SHOWED ANY REACTION, SO IT SEEMS YOU HAVE NO HISTORY WITH HIM. AND I DON'T THINK HE'D GO TO THESE LENGTHS JUST TO ASSEMBLE FIVE STRANGERS AND HAVE THEM KILLED. IT DOESN'T ADD UP. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE WANTS FROM YOU, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE YOU CAN JUST GO ALONG AND FIND OUT WITHOUT DIEING IN THE PROCESS."

Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.Terry Pratchett

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

The wardings on Aya's cloak keep her shielded from wind and rain, an effect visible almost as a wall of water in a storm of this magnitude, but they do nothing to save her from the ship's swaying deck. Still, it's no fragile tree branch, and she makes her way over to stand directly behind Assam, shielding him slightly from the wind - something that would have been more effective were she a little taller and less skinny. Placing a hand on his back, she leans up to speak directly into his ear, dropping her fašade in favour of efficiency.

"You're right, I've no history with Ambrath, and as far as I know the others don't either. But we don't have any history with each other, either, which means there must be some way he knew of each of us, and some reason it's us in particular he wants. And I think we'd all feel more inclined to meet with him if we had a better idea of what those were. There are two things I'm going to ask from you if we're going to resolve this little dispute peacefully, and the first will take nothing but a bit of your time, so we'll start with that. Just tell me everything you know of Ambrath and his dealings."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"Well, as I already made clear he's rich. Filthy rich, the only one on the same level is Lady Lauren. He controls a good deal of the city's import and export, and the trade in cloth, dyes and spices is firmly in his hands. He also provides cleaning services, and rumor has it this can include making bodies or other unwelcome things 'disappear', though of course nothing was ever proven.
His household guard is 200 strong, nicknamed 'copperskins' for their copper scale armor. In the conflict between merchants and nobility he's sort of the former's ring leader, though now he is on the Council of Lords too who knows what will happen with that. It's an open secret he's feuding with Lord Blacktree in particular, though I hear they grew up together as children and were quite friendly with each other. There are many rumors as to what estranged them, a rather popular one is about a woman named Marie both fell in love with and then died in a tragic way, but I wouldn't believe any of that.
I only met him once in person. He's a rather... massive man, people like you and me are just flies to him. Not the kind of guy you want to mess with unless you have an army or two in your back. Says he bought the title of Lord so he can start a dynasty and inherit it to his son, though it took him 16 daughters and who knows how many courtesans to actually have one. And then the boy turned out to be simple as I hear. The daughters though are all a sight to behold. Keeps them close, no idea why he doesn't marry them off to secure alliances. Well, until recently when two of the five Kuldath brothers married his youngest ones. If he makes a coup like that with each of the others he'll own the whole Bluff and half of Tantras in the end."

Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.Terry Pratchett

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

I know half-orcs who'd take offense. Jorran deadpans as Aya and the man leave the room. "They usually hit you in the face, and without poison." He stays silent for a bit and sits down. "Anyone have a clue what this Embro fellow might want from us?" Jorran scratched the back of his head. "'Noncompliance was not an option.' Sounds like an awful lot of trouble, and all this isn't going to make us any friendlier to whatever they want." He pauses for a moment. "It sure isn't making me any friendlier...

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"I have no idea," Mirielle replies as she fishes a large, dogeared tome out of her rucksack. "I've never met him. Hell, I've only been up in the Dragon Reach for a few months." She begins thumbing through the volume. "And my situation is about the same as Aya's. The only god I'd less like to make an enemy of than Mystra is Kelemvor, and the Doomguides are at least as fearsome as the Knights of the Mystic Fire."

"Ah!" she exclaims. "Here it is." Mirielle slams the book down on the table and begins running through the strings of mnemonics, lists, and acronyms.

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Knowledge (History) and (Local) to see what I know about Ambrath. Using a masterwork tool for history.
History: (1d20+3)[20]
Local: (1d20+6)[9]

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

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Nobility & Royalty is untrained, so I'm not going to get much else from that, either.

After several minutes, Mirielle closes her book with a sigh and stows it in her backpack. "I've got nothing on Ambrath. I was hoping he's been around long enough for my history section to have something."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"Better," Aya replies. "Not as helpful as I'd hoped, but better." She leans a bit further forward. "Now, as to the matter of resolving our differences..."

"Since your little kidnapping scheme turned out unpleasantly for everyone involved, it seems to me you're now receiving a great deal of profit for what has become, essentially, delivering a message. I'm sure the poisoned wine cost you a bit, but not that much. Compensate us for the trouble we've gone through - say, two thousand gold each - and I'll go convince everyone to pay Ambrath the discreet visit he desires. We'll keep quiet about your tendency to drug your passengers, and you'll keep your profit margin intact. Oh, and don't bother bringing up your dead sailors; if they'd posted a guard below like they were supposed to, or even been willing to surrender, we'd have had the situation explained when we woke up, and we could have skipped over that pointless fight and straight to this conversation. They died of their own foolishness."

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And while we're at it, Knowledge: Nobility for Lauren and Blacktree.(1d20+2)[17](1d20+2)[15]

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

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Lady Lauren DeVillars, now in her sixties or seventies, is likely the most powerful person of the Bluff. Spokeswoman of the nobility, high priestess of Waukeen, and the biggest merchant house Tempest Rose is firmly in her pocket. Owns huge amounts of real estate, and prevented the merchants from acquiring much land when many nobles lost their income because of the war(runs essentially a bank worth millions, taking real estate as collateral). Beloved by the people for her generosity, though a bit detached from everyday reality. Like once when in a cold winter she gave her old clothes and furs to beggars. Instead of wearing them they sold it, each being worth hundreds of gold

Blacktree IV. is from a long noble line with a military tradition. Was a bit of a slack and no-good carefree guy in his youth, though stepped up in adulthood and became a respectable officer, culminating in him leading the army in the war. Was favored by the soldiers for the post of Lord Mayor; lost to Lady Amber, but still influential today

Asam grits his teeth; clearly money is where he feels pain the most. "Fine. One-five each, and not one gold more. I still have to smuggle you in there without anyone being the wiser, and my beloved Arianna will surely need some repairs after this. Plus you got a splendid feast out of it at least. That wine was expensive, and Malinor previously cooked for a big lord you know. Got thrown out when he reacted violently to the question why his potatoes taste like pike."

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indeed, the feast was the best you all had ever eaten, though somehow everything did have a taste of one kind of fish or the other, even if it shouldn't

Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.Terry Pratchett

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Keeva

Sighing as Aya heads up top, she sets her crossbow on the ground and leans against one of the walls of their small 'room' to balance herself against the shaking of the ship. She blows up, making her bangs fly for a few seconds. "You know what just dawned on me? I could just sink this ship. I could just sink this ship with a few bolts or a good charge. Probably could've avoided an entire fight if I just brought that up. Sight is only perfect if its in the past, aye?"

"So. Here's a question. Somehow someone wanted the five of us, right? So that means we're all on the same playing field more or less. I say, we stick together until this whole ordeal is done. I can't defend myself all that well, and I can't beat someone down with my fists, but I'm willin' to bet that none of you can make your own objects of power, except you," Keeva says, pointing at Magnus. "Because you're doin' somethin' that ain't... ain't..." Something inside Keeva's head clicks, and a mix of a smile and a gasp spreads across her face. "You're usin' Incarnum, aren't you?"

"You use bloody Incarnum!"

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Could Keeva figure out the blueprints of the ship, based on being a passenger of it for a little bit, and with a knowledge Architecture/Engineering check?Knowledge: A/E:(1d20+9)[16]

Recovering from unexpected violence from past weekend. Excuse my lack of posting, games I run.
Avatar drawn by AmberVael, many praises and prayers be to she.
I am writing a post-love romance novel. Please ask me about it.

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Aya allows herself a hidden smile; she'd been expecting to fight for one and five. "We did, at that. We're agreed, then. I'll leave you to keep us afloat and go bring the others on side." Returning carefully to the hold, she snaps her cloak once at the door to shed any remaining water and heads down to the others.

"No one started up the cards and dice while I was away, I see," she begins, taking a seat at the table with a grin. "I hope you like the terms I came up with, 'cause they'll make us all a fair bit better off. In short, Ambrath is the second-richest person in Raven's Bluff, and one of the most powerful. Approaching Lady Lauren in wealth, and she may be a bit of an eccentric, but she as good as owns half the city. He's also ambitious, has no qualms about spending all that money, and probably has his fingers in a few less-than-legal bits of business on top of controlling the clothing and spice trades. I figure if he wants to meet with us, and we're heading to the Bluff, he's going to, sooner or later. So I worked out a simple arrangement with Asam. He pays us each fifteen hundred gold for our trouble, we don't bother mentioning this little incident, and he proceeds with getting us to the meeting unnoticed, as planned. I hope that won't interfere with any of your plans?"

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Magnus

Magnus replies to Keeva (prior to Aya's arrival), "Using incarnum is... A crude way to put it." With that, he holds up his hammer. "If this hammer were a fire, incarnum would be the coal. It powers and strengthens these... manifestations of my will and conviction. This could not exist without incarnum, but incarnum is only the potential. It is my will that gives it purpose. By focusing my will differently, this could as easily be gloves, or a helm."

After Aya's arrival:

"Fifteen hundred? I suppose it's more than we already paid that black-hearted bastard, but still... Whatever this Ambrath fellow wants from us, he went through a lot of trouble to get us here, and paid a lot of money. I believe Asam's lackey called it a 'huge sum'. Add on the rather exorbitant price that this scum extorted from us for the passage that they were paid for, and... Well, I'd say that Asam up there is making quite the tidy sum. I don't know this Ambrath, which is good. That much money expects payment, either in interest or blood. With no reason that I know of for him to want revenge, all I can guess is that he intends to use our services, and I can only guess that he wishes to gain far more from it than we will. That's not to say we won't profit tidily; after all, what's twenty thousand gold, balanced against the control of, say, all the sea trade in Raven's Bluff?

Regardless, I see no harm in the meeting, and if accepting fifteen hundred gold will avoid further bloodshed and get me off this gods damned boat, I'm willing to accept such an offer. It is a reasonable enough restitution, and so long as the victims, us, are renumerated for the wrongs which befelled us, I see it as a more efficient way of getting a little justice, rather than dealing with harbor patrol guards on the take. I can only speak for myself, however. I will only support this if every one of us agrees. We must all feel the restitution is fair."

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

"It is fair, as far as it goes" Mirielle says, furrowing her brow. "But I would like Asam to pay a weregild to the families of those sailors we butchered. It's his fault we were there, his fault they were guarding prisoners far stronger than them, his fault they died.

"If the rest of you don't agree, of course, I will speak with the captain separately once we dock. I don't imagine he will refuse to part with a few hundred more gold to pay for his carelessness. How much was he being paid to drug us?"

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Keeva

"Oh blah blah blah. Arcanists 'write' formulas, Etheric folk are 'gifted' divine power. Point of the matter is, you and I have long fantastic talks ahead of us, as you can help me with my resea-" Keeva cuts herself off upon Aya's arrival. "So let me get this straight: one of the richest, most powerful persons in Ravens Bluff wants the five of us, and paid a very nice, healthy sum of money to do so?

"You, uh, you sure I just couldn't sink the ship? It seems like the safer option."

Recovering from unexpected violence from past weekend. Excuse my lack of posting, games I run.
Avatar drawn by AmberVael, many praises and prayers be to she.
I am writing a post-love romance novel. Please ask me about it.

Re: Madness, Blood and Thunder in Ravens Bluff IC

Magnus shakes his head at Mirielle's words. "First, and I am profoundly glad of this, those guards were careless, criminally. They left us completely unmonitored. In addition, we offered them multiple chances for parley, and they refused each. Each man blazes his own trail through this world, and they chose their path. Their deaths were tragic, but the circumstances for them were on their heads, and no other. We gave them every opportunity to end the fighting, and they refused us, almost to the last man. I would not hold the captain responsible for their stupidity, only his own."